Restless
by Shamichi
Summary: When Dick Grayson finds himself perplexed with insomnia one night, he contemplated about his departure from the legendary detective. A sense of restlessness crept over him as he slowly doubts his decision.


**Restless**

2:00 am

The cover stirs and moves to the movement of a figure shifting uncomfortably in his bed. Azure eyes shot open, restless and weary. After several twisting and rotating, the boy decided to give up on sleep entirely.

Dick sighed a weighty sigh, lying on his back as he stared blankly at the ceiling above him. This is ridiculous, he thought, he's been sleeping fine so far so why is it bothering him now.

He grumbled to himself, sitting up as he crossed his arms tightly against his chest. He sat there thoughtful as he tried to think of the possible cause for his resisting slumber. He scanned his dark surroundings, slightly unfamiliar to the space around him. Thinking about it, his bed seems to feel rather small.

 _Wait, where am I?_

"Oh, right." Dick exhaled; his mind immediately adjusting to his environment.

He turned his gaze to the window as his eyes stared out at the mysterious city. The boy listened intently to the calming howl of the midnight breeze, the distant wailing of sirens of a troubled city.

The air was clear, crisp, and cold as it penetrated the small gaps of the windowsill. The breeze caused the tiny hairs on his skin to tingle, a chilly atmosphere fitting for a restless soul.

He recollected the events of the night. It had been a usual routine for him for the most part, nothing out of the ordinary. He was investigating an area near Blüdhaven when Bruce called and requested assistance to take care of a pesky hostage situation in Gotham. At first he refused, telling him that he has his own business to take care of. For a moment he was pleased with himself, pleased that he was able to stand his ground. Finally, he was able to establish himself to his own cause, his own identity without repetitively succumbing to the detective's aid.

But as much as he tried to resist, as much as he tried to separate himself from becoming just an associate to the Batman's cause, he eventually finds himself rushing to Batman's side.

It's not that he didn't want to help, far from it.

Whatever happened to independence? Dick scoffed. He's not Robin anymore, he's Nightwing now. He is his own man; he made that clear when he left the Manor to pursue his own purpose. The last thing he wanted for himself was to constantly be under the shadow of the Batman.

And yet, he still finds himself closely following the cape crusader, never too far away, always there when he needs him. No matter how different things are, he could never truly leave a family that cared about him.

Maybe he should have waited a bit longer. Perhaps he should have said something instead of leaping out into the night with nothing but his determination and rebelliousness to fuel his incentive.

Dick reminisced on his departure from the Manor. At some level he always knew he didn't want to stay in the boy wonder shroud for too long. He realized he has to grow up and leave the nest sometime. Unknown to most, leaving was difficult despite how casually he was able to just turn away. He left more than just his robin identity, he left his family. The only 2 people who cared enough to take in a traumatized child and make him one of his own.

He felt a lump in his throat. Thinking about it always made him feel sentimental.

Dick reached for his phone lying silently on the table next to him. Pressing the circular button in the middle of the rectangular mobile, a flashing bright light illuminated from the screen. He scrolled through his contacts and pressed on the name 'Bruce Wayne.' He doesn't always call Bruce on his personal mobile; he has different means to get to the dark knight. But as Dick Grayson, a friend, a son, it wouldn't hurt to confide to his adoptive father about his sleeping problem. He used to do it a lot when he lived in the Wayne Manor.

But then again, he was 14 years old at the time.

He stared down at it momentarily, tugging his hair as he hover his thumb over. He debated over his decision, wondering what kind of reply Batman would give an old partner. But then who says he'll even pick up anyway? Bruce Wayne is a prominent figure and Batman is a prominent icon, keeping these identities separate would require effort and time.

He's probably busy anyway, the boy thought as he imagined the illustrious dark knight crouched mysteriously over rooftops like a cat hunting for its prey.

Dick bit his lip thoughtfully, his eyes fixed on the device at hand.

 _Leave it Grayson…just put the phone down._

Slowly, hesitantly, he moved his finger to press the little lock button on his phone. He sighed, looking down at the blank screen, his heart slightly relieved from anticipation. Silence pierced the room as Dick sat on his bed with his phone pressed against his lips curiously.

Tick Tock…Tick Tock…

The ticking of the clock grew louder, drowsy and heavy with each strike of the hand. The atmosphere turned still as Dick paused and wondered about what he would say if he had mustered the courage to press the call button. Different conversations entered his mind, visualizing different versions to his dialogue.

"I can't sleep, can I come over?" He shook his head, distastefully rejecting the suggestive implications of such words. He cleared his throat, this time attempting to sound serious.

"Hello Bruce, I have trouble sleeping can you tuck me into bed please?" He paused, chuckling at the innocence and ridiculousness of the question. The more he tried to envision the conversation, the more absurd his words sounded.

His eyebrows wrinkled, his eyes glazed with bewilderment at thoughts he never considered.

Running a hand through his hair, he twisted his lips into an unsatisfied sulk.

A year into his solo career and here he finds himself creeping back to his surrogate father figure. Old habits die hard after all.

So much for independence, he thought. With that, he placed his phone back on his bed side table and slides back into the suspecting comfort of his covers. He laid there restless waiting for morning.


End file.
